Plastic containers with hinged relatively movable parts



July 29, 1958 M. FRANKEL 2,

. PLASTIC CONTAINERS WITH HINGED RELATIVELY MOVABLE PARTS Filed Oct. 5,1956 mmvron flo/mls Emu/(a.

ATTORNEK United States Patent PLASTIC CONTAINERS WITH 'HINGED 'RELA-TIVELY MOVABLE PARTS Morris Eranke l, Teaneck, N. J. Application October5, 1956, Serial No. 614,109

4 Claims. (Cl. 150--.5)

This invention relates to containers composed of two hingedly coupledparts shaped to conform with a predetermined article or product to bepositioned therein and, wherein, each part includes projecting couplingflange portions arranged upon the greater portion of the periphery ofthe parts and intermediate hinge sections hingedly joining the parts sothat they can be moved into open and closed positions at will.

More particularly, the invention deals with containers of the characterdescribed, which are formed from plastic material and, wherein, theparts can be shaped by vacuum drawing processes, as known in the art.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of one form of container which I employ,illustrating the parts in closed and retained position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts in extended or opened position.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, illustrating one part inextended position in dot-dash lines; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4,diagrammatically illustrating the means 'for stiffening the flangededges of the container parts.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a container formed of hingedlyjoined parts to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the parts invarious uses thereof and, particularly, containers fashioned fromplastics which can be vacuum drawn into the desired shapes or contoursto suit the containers for different uses. Such plastics as styrene,polyethylene, butyrate, acetate and the like are examples. It will alsobe understood, at this time, that 'wall thicknesses of the containerswill depend entirely upon the use to which the container is to be put.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I have shown acontainer formed of two substantially similar dish-shaped parts 10 and11, which are shown in extended position in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Eachpart has, at its periphery, an extending coupling flange 12 and 13,respectively, one of these flanges, the flange 12 of the part 10, beingshown in enlarged sectional diagrammatic detail in Fig. 6 of the drawingto illustrate a multiplicity of beads 14 therein to give stiffness andrigidity to the flanges, particularly when formed of thin or of arelatively thin material. 'These beads are not shown in any of thefigures in order to simplify the showing. However, the beads will be inall of the flange portions and extend circumferentially, as well asradially, except for the hinge flange portions 15 and 16,

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the latter of which are joined in the rounded hinge portion 17.

In the accompanyingdrawing, the parts I0and 11 are substantiallyidentical in contour. However, .in many different uses, the one part mayhave a contour or shape totally different from the other part. Theflange "12 of the part 10 has, at circumferentially spaced intervals,radial apertures or openings 18, three being shown in the accompanyingdrawing. The companion par'tfl'l has it flange 13 cutout to formcoupling tabs '19 at positions to register with theopenings 18,1t'hetabs having inner V-shaped side coupling members L20 and outer laterallydirected coupling tonguesZll. The tabs 19 are adapted to be passedthrough the apertures 18, so to dispose the. coupling members 20 uponthe outer surface of the flange 12, as clearly noted in .Fig. 3 of thedraw-v ing, as well as in Fig. 1 and also to correspondingly positionthe tongues 21. The flanges are flexible in construction and, thus, canbe forced through the apertures 18 in establishing the couplingengagement between the parts 10 and 11 and this same forcible flexure inthe opposite direction serves to uncouple the flanges in separating thecontainer parts for movement from the closed I position of Fig. 1 intothe open position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

In other words, a container of the character described can be utilizedfor not only packaging, shipment and delivery of articles or productsbut can be used and reused as a supporting casing or covering forarticles of merchandise of any type or kind. The freely flexing tabs 19will retain the parts against accidental separation. However, byforcibly moving the tabs through the apertures 18, the two casing partswill be quickly separated for movement into open position. Withrelatively large container parts, the tabs can be sufficiently large tofacilitate the above operation by the use of the finger of a hand,whereas, insmaller containers a small rod or other tool can be utilizedin movement of the tabs into both operative and inoperative positions.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A plastic container of the character described, comprising twosubstantially similar dish-shaped parts, integral means hingedlycoupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flangesalined one with the other and extending the major portion of the lengthof the periphery of said parts and terminating in flange ends adjacentsaid integral means, interengaging means alined and spacedcircumferentially of the flanges for detachably coupling said flanges insecuring the parts in closed position one upon the other, said hingemeans comprising parts disposed intermediate and in alinement with theflange ends, and a straight round hinge portion joining said hingeparts.

2. A plastic container of the character described, comprising twosubstantially similar dish-shaped parts, integral means hingedlycoupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flangesalined one with the other and extending the major portion of the lengthof the periphery of said parts and terminating in flange ends adjacentsaid integral means, interengaging means alined and spacedcircumferentially of the flanges for detachably coupling said flanges insecuring the parts in closed position one upon the other, said hingemeans comprising parts disposed intermediate and in alinement with theflange ends, a straight round hinge portion joining said hinge parts,and said interengaging means comprising tabs on the flanges of one partfitting in alined apertures on the flanges of the other part.

3. A plastic container of the character described, comprising twosubstantially similar dish-shaped parts, integral means hingedlycoupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flangesalined one with the other and extending the major portion of the lengthof the periphery of said parts and terminating in flange ends adjacentsaid integral means, interengaging means alined and spacedcircumferentiallyof the flanges for,detach.- ably coupling said flangesin securing the parts in closed position one upon the other, said hingemeans comprising parts disposed intermediate and in alinement with theflange ends, a straight round hinge portion joining said hinge parts,said interengaging means comprising tabs on the flanges of one partfitting in alined apertures on the flanges of the other part, and eachof said tabs having, at the base thereof, V-shaped coupling members.

4. A plastic container of the character described, comprising twosubstantially similar dish-shaped parts, integral means hingedlycoupling said parts, the parts having outwardly projecting flangesalined one with the other and extending the major portion of the lengthof the periphery of said parts and terminating in flange ends adjacentsaid integral means, interengaging means alined and spacedcircumferentially of the flanges for detachably coupling said flanges insecuring the parts in closed position one upon the other, said hingemeans comprising parts disposed intermediate and in alinernent with theflange ends, a straight round hinge portion joining said hinge parts,said interengaging means comprising tabs on the flanges of one partfitting in alined apertures on the flanges of the other part, each ofsaid tabs having, at the base thereof, V-shaped coupling members, andouter laterally projecting tongues.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 87,314Wilmot Feb. 23, 1869 2,293,952 Stroop Aug. 25, 1942 2,631,631 Vogel Mar.17, 1953 2,642,912 Berger June 23, 1953 2,687,157 Cowan Aug. 24, 19542,765,832 Tupper Oct. 9, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 398,044 Great BritainSept. 7, 1933

